Despite going unbeaten in their last three friendly matches, Carlo Ancelotti's Brazil have not shown significant progress after their early World Cup elimination. "In these three games, we've gone backwards in relation to where we were during the World Cup," former Brazil midfielder Felipe Melo said on Brazilian television. That's resounding criticism for manager Carlo Ancelotti given the context: Before this international break, the last time we saw Brazil was at the 2026 World Cup in July, when they were knocked out by Norway in the round of 16 -- their earliest exit since 1990.
Last week, Brazil needed 20-year-old attacker Rayan to head home a last-gasp equalizer against Australia, rescuing a disappointing 1-1 draw. Brazil followed that result with a 4-2 win in a second meeting against Australia before enjoying a 4-0 victory over India on Saturday. Back home, few fans are impressed, and five-time UEFA Champions League-winning coach Ancelotti is already widely being seen as a massive disappointment.
Ancelotti must answer a fundamental question about the shape of his side. After the World Cup, he identified central midfield as Brazil's weakest area. It was a surprise, then, in the first game against Australia, that Ancelotti went back to the plan of using a front four, with just two players in the center of the pitch. The opening match against Australia was the worst of the three Brazil played, and a morale-crushing defeat was imminent when Rayan headed home from a corner. It was back to 4-3-3 for the second match in Brisbane.
Source: ESPN Soccer · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing